I, Claudius : From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 (Vintage International)

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Summary: A History even a Non-History buff will love!
Review: I recently re-read "I, Claudius" and was amazed at how exciting it was, even though I knew the ending. *THIS* is the book high school history teachers should assign! Re-reading it piqued my interest so much that I read Tacitus' "Annals" and Seutonius' "Twelve Caesars".

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Summary: Livia, I love you!
Review: Welcome to the dawn of the Roman empire; where no one sleeps alone and no back goes unstabbed. Robert Graves paints a picture of historical fiction from the eyes of his narrator, the lame and stuttering Claudius. He survives through three emperors: Augustus, Tiberus, and Caligula. My favorite character in the novel is Livia who is a cross between Machiavelli and Lady Macbeth.

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Summary: Wonderful historical novel; looking for a hardcover version.
Review: Both of Grave's Claudius novels are wonderful historical novels, remarkable as both history and literature. Graves vividly describes absolute power corrupting absolutely Rome's first imperial family. The book also does a good job describing the chain of events resulting in the citizens of a republic surrendering their liberties for peace and order. These are some of my favorite books of all time. I am trying to find a hardcover copy of each for my library.

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Summary: "Tiberius" by Alan Massie
Review: I also suggest the book "Tiberius" by Alan Massie, which uses the same first-person-emperor narrative style as Claudius. While many of the same characters and events from the Graves novels are here, the author successfully offers a far more sympathetic view of Tiberius. Furthermore, Massie, who is clearly a Graves fan, seems to have a similar poetic sensiblity.

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Summary: Intriguing Book!
Review: The novel gives a lot of insight into the intrigue and action surrounding the first few years of the Roman empire. Livia, Augustus's wife, plays a dominant, if not THE dominant role in this regard. She maneuvers tirelessly to get her only son, Tiberius, to succeed Augustus, despite many heirs with closer claims to the throne (who are removed, one by one). Excellent book, I do say!

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Summary: Ancient Rome Re-animated in Words
Review: I first found "I, Claudius" in my school library when I was 15, and 7 years later it is still my favorite book. This is Roman hstory from a unique yet accessible point of view. I believe Graves wrote it based on his translation of Suetonius's "Twelve Caesars" (which is quite an enjoyable read in itself,) and as Suetonius seemed to be the "National Enquirer" of Roman historians, 'I, Claudius" and its companion piece, "Claudius the God" are not only replete with fascinating trivial bits of the Roman Empire's history, but wonderfully full of human interest aspects. This book makes two-thousand-year-old history live and breath today. The 14 or so hour long television adaptation is also marvelous, although I was glad to have read both books beforehand because it made the intricate palace/power/family relationships easier to decipher. Overall, a perfect ten by which one can judge all other historical reality-fiction.

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Summary: History as only Robert Graves could write it
Review: I got started on ancient Roman history by watching the BBC series "I Claudius". Then I found this book and read it. Absolutely fabulous! Graves' scholarship is astounding, and the writing is so contemporary that you will look twice when you read the publication dates in the front of the book. A "must read" for anyone who likes history.

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Summary: Historical fiction at it's finest!
Review: A classic must-read for any history fan. One of the great books

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Summary: One of the best historical fiction novels
Review: Robert Graves brilliantly walks the reader through the dangerous intrigues of the Roman Empire, and makes it seem so real and fresh that it's hard to believe that it all really happened 2000 years ago. This book sets the standard for all historical fiction -- and it's a tough act to follow

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Summary: Claudius: A historians delight
Review: This book will draw in any history major or lover of documentries. Graves takes the dry subject of Roman sucessionand turns it into a real page-turner. Not only will you enjoy a wonderful told story of the not-so-stupid Claudius' accidental rise to power but you get a behind the scene look at the people who made history. Graves heavily researched this book with historic documents so the book is accurate and educational. Graves makes learning history humorous and fun.